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Some beta on Hotel Cali?

Zarb

20-Jan-2015
3:10:56 PM

Hey all,

My end of year goal is to go and have another go at Hotel California. I did it with a mate years and years ago, but I didn't go too well and had to prussik some of it. Unfortunately I've forgotten a lot of details about the climbing so I'm after some beta.

I recently did Bunny Bucket, and although I could do all the moves on the climb, my endurance was no where near what I had hoped. I felt that BBB had a few hard moves, but the majority of the climbing was on nice positive holds. Are any individual moves on HC much more technically difficult than the hardest moves on BBB? Or is there simply just more hard moves? If HC is simply just more sustained than BBB, but not much more technically difficult, I'll focus much much more on getting my endurance up to standard.

shortman

20-Jan-2015
3:24:03 PM

Fark, just get someone else to put the tick in ya guide book, :)

gfdonc

20-Jan-2015
3:59:07 PM

On 20/01/2015 Zarb wrote:
>I recently did Bunny Bucket, and although I could do all the moves on
>the climb, my endurance was no where near what I had hoped. I felt that
>BBB had a few hard moves, but the majority of the climbing was on nice
>positive holds. Are any individual moves on HC much more technically difficult
>than the hardest moves on BBB? Or is there simply just more hard moves?
>If HC is simply just more sustained than BBB, but not much more technically
>difficult, I'll focus much much more on getting my endurance up to standard.

Huh? Were you paying attention?
BBB is 18, some say soft at the grade.
HC is 22, some say hard for the grade.

IMHO, HC has pitches of 22+, 20, 17, 14 (mostly a bush bash though), 18, 19, 20, 18 (unless I've forgotten a pitch).
If you find BBB physically demanding you'll probably get well spanked on HC.

patto

20-Jan-2015
4:07:21 PM

On 20/01/2015 Zarb wrote:
>If HC is simply just more sustained than BBB, but not much more technically
>difficult, I'll focus much much more on getting my endurance up to standard.

Hotel California is a 21 (22 in some guides). BBB is an 18 (19 in some guides). I would expect that Hotel California would be significantly more challenging. I haven't done HC but I know some who can cruise BBB but can't complete HC (I expect that would be me too).

For what it is worth I though BBB was an easy 18.

martym

20-Jan-2015
5:19:36 PM

I've not done HC proper - I did the variant, using Mikl's nice Contented Cows link up. That said, we watched a party on the severely overhung first pitch of HC - which many say is more like a 24 to start your day. Definitely didn't look appealing for a 9 pitch climb (didn't do the last pitch due to the easy walk off option)

BBB is definitley not as demanding mentally or physically. The undies traverse alone is technically more than anything on BBB - followed by about 15m of vertical to the anchor.. and then a very technical 20.

I'd recommend you train a lot - go do some laps on some 3 pitch 20s. If you aren't over pumped; then you should be ready. See recent thread about your bail options from pierces pass!

One Day Hero

20-Jan-2015
5:29:16 PM

On 20/01/2015 patto wrote:
>I haven't done HC but I know some who can cruise BBB but
>can't complete HC

Whoah, patto knows someone who can cruise BBB.....you sure roll with some serious hard-hitters.

Zarb, if you pull/aid on a dozen or so bolts, Hotel Cali is no harder than Bunny Buckets. People get kooked because they blow up trying to be a hero on the gr21 first pitch.
My advice is to pull on draws early and often, get yourself to the top, then you'll know how much you've got in reserve for your second run. Also, have a second run. It'll be much more efficient (and fun) than stressing and training for months just to put all your eggs in one basket.

patto

20-Jan-2015
5:55:23 PM

On 20/01/2015 One Day Hero wrote:
>Whoah, patto knows someone who can cruise BBB.....you sure roll with some
>serious hard-hitters.

Yep. I even know a few people who can cruise up Tiptoe Ridge with little or no aid! Some can even do it without stopping for lunch!

kieranl

20-Jan-2015
10:38:02 PM

On 20/01/2015 patto wrote:
>On 20/01/2015 One Day Hero wrote:
>>Whoah, patto knows someone who can cruise BBB.....you sure roll with
>some
>>serious hard-hitters.
>
>Yep. I even know a few people who can cruise up Tiptoe Ridge with little
>or no aid! Some can even do it without stopping for lunch!

Damn! That's where I went wrong!

barefootbushman

21-Jan-2015
8:27:04 AM

I did HC a few days ago. the first pitch was nails! But one of the best pitches of my life. The upper pitches are fairly exposed and quite technical. HC is (IMO) much harder than BBB, both endurance wise, and technically. I'm a comfortable 24 climber, and the first pitch was HARD (to onsight anyway.... fell off at first roof) and the rest of the climb is rather sustained and long. The traverse would be terrifying if it was hard for you.The seconder needs to carry a bag full of water and shoes too. Get on the West face of the MIrrorball and do the 21 top pitch before you try HC

harold

21-Jan-2015
9:38:00 AM

Yep, as others have said if you found BBB hard you will probably get spanked on Hotel. I would recomend doing the Contented Cows start to avoid the nails first pitch. I thought it was pretty nice climbing still with a much more consistant grade climbing.

Just remember you still have to do the 19 undies traverse, and then some steepish grade 20 moves on the next pitch. And there's no easy way to bail from there.

mikllaw

21-Jan-2015
9:59:33 AM

On 21/01/2015 harold wrote:
> And there's no easy way to bail from there.

From the belay at the end of the traverse, traverse 10m left (past a Ubolt runner) to a rap station which will get you back to the ledge

jdb

21-Jan-2015
10:46:04 AM

Some youtube vision of the traverse (may be helpful to 'set the scene')

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjPsj662pvg

Zarb

21-Jan-2015
9:34:06 PM

Thanks for all the info guys.

Yeah when I did HC all those years ago, I remember shitting myself on the traverse, and also I remember the first pitch being balls hard. Everything else is a little blurry.

I found BBB technically easy - that is to say that no individual move was difficult for me. I just felt that my endurance had definitely suffered after a few years of only small days at the crag.

I think I'll try it half way through the year with a guy who I know can lead all the pitches, and see how I go. If I have to prussik and pull on gear, well it's an awesome view anyway :) Then I'll take stock of where I need to get to and bash it out again at the end of the year.

nmonteith

22-Jan-2015
10:12:39 AM

On 21/01/2015 Zarb wrote:
>I think I'll try it half way through the year with a guy who I know can
>lead all the pitches, and see how I go. If I have to prussik and pull on
>gear, well it's an awesome view anyway :) Then I'll take stock of where
>I need to get to and bash it out again at the end of the year.

Does your plan involve doing some shorter multis before attempting this again? Something like Whymper or Dirty Rotten Pig are good routes to get an idea of your speed/fitness. Because there has been quite a few rescues on BBB, I don't think its wise to get on it if you have any inkling that you would have to prussic or pull on gear.

Zarb

22-Jan-2015
11:34:30 AM

Neil, you mean HC right? I've done BBB with not much problem, I will most likely head back there to lead the pitches I seconded last time round.

Yeah I have a few lead-up climbs in mind both in the Blue Mountains proper, as well as in the Wolgans.

Whymper is a climb I've always been keen to do, it looks like an experience. Saccharine Nightmare is another one that my friends always rave about. Sublime and the Beautiful also looks like a nice one.

martym

22-Jan-2015
12:39:53 PM

On 22/01/2015 Zarb wrote:
>Neil, you mean HC right? I've done BBB with not much problem, I will most
>likely head back there to lead the pitches I seconded last time round.
>
>
>Yeah I have a few lead-up climbs in mind both in the Blue Mountains proper,
>as well as in the Wolgans.
>
>Whymper is a climb I've always been keen to do, it looks like an experience.
>Saccharine Nightmare is another one that my friends always rave about.
>Sublime and the Beautiful also looks like a nice one.
>

Convince a friend to climb sweet dreams while you do Whymper & you'll get some spectacular photos worth putting up in the pool room.

There are 16 messages in this topic.